Improvement in machinery for pressing straw bonnets and other articles of varying thickness



UNITED STATES ArnNf Fries,

HIRAM E. TVEST, OF NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR PRESSINGSTRAW BONNETSAND OTHER ARTICLES OFVRYING THICKN ESS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No, 20,@37, dated July 6,1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM E. WEST, of Norton, in the county of Bristoland State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful machine orapparatus for molding, forming, shaping and pressing articles that canbe molded, formed, shaped, and pressed by a flexible presser operated bysome fluid substance forced against it; and I do hereby declare that thesame is described and represented in the following` specification anddrawings.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and the mode of using it,referring` to the drawings, in which the same letters indicate likeparts in each of the figures.

Figure lis a machine made according to my invention for forming andshaping hats or bonnets, by pressing them into a mold by means of aflexible presser operated by some fluid forced against it. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation representing Fig. l cut longitudinally through thecenter.

In the drawings, A is a mold, in which the bonnet or hat is to be formedor shaped and pressed, made of cast metal and provided with a case orcovering B, as shown in Fig. 2, leaving a space between the mold andcase for steam or a flame of gas from the pipe N to heat the mold. Thismold and case is supported by the standards B B', which connect it tothe trough I, which trough may be made in the form shown in the drawingsor of such other form as will answer the purpose. This trough I isintended to hold water or other fluid, and is provided with a cover L,arranged to slide in grooves L to traverse the stand D, and flexiblepresser E to and from the mold A, so as to apply the hat or bonnet to beshaped and pressed, and remove it when done.

D is a metal stand made in the form shown in the drawings or in suchother form as will answer the purpose, and fastened to the cover L so asto move with it.

E is a flexible covering or presser covering the outside of the stand D,and fastened to it by the hoop E', as shown in the drawings. Thisflexible presser E may be either elastic or non-elastic if it is madelarge enough to fill the mold when it is distended, and so as to beeasily compressed to apply the article to be shaped or molded andpressed by it. I have found a presser for this purpose to do goodservice when made of india-rubber and operated by cold water from thetrough I, forced into the space O between the flexible presser E andstand D, through the pipe G, bythe pump F, which is fastened to thecover L at a convenient distance from the stand D. The water in thetroughI is drawn up through the supply-pipe F by the pump F and forcedthrough the pipe G into the space O, the valves P P preventing itsreturn, and after it has distended the flexible presser, as required, itis allowed to escape through the pipe N (by turning the cock M) into thetrough from whence it was taken. t

The mold A is provided with a flange, to which the grooved rim or hoop Ois fitted to turn freely and provided with a handle K, and there aresome scores J .I in the hoop O, into which scores the lugs J J on thestand enter when the stand is carried up to the mold and the hoop isturned by the handle K so as to lock the stand and and mold firmlytogether while the bonnet is shaped in the mold and pressed.

To press a straw bonnet after it is bleached, it is properly inoistenedand placed upon the flexible presser E, which is then placed with thestand D in the mold (which is properly heated for the purpose) andlocked there. The operator now works the pump F, and forces the waterinto the space o, under the flexible presser E, and spreads or expandsit, forcing the bonnet against the sides of the mold which surrounds it,and compelling it to assume the exact form of the interior of the hotmold, which shapes it while the flexible presser presses it hard againstthe hot mold, which heats the bonnet and evaporates the moisture in it,which is condensed on the presser by the cold water inside, so thatafter the bonnet has been pressedaproper time in the mold, it may bereleased by turning the cock M and letting the water which distended thepresser return to the trough when the flexible presser collapses orshrinks from the bonnet, which remains in contact or near the hot mold,which evaporates and drives the moisture from the bonnet, which moistureis condensed by the cold, flexible, and collapsed presser, except whatescapes with it in the form of steam when the presser is removed, byturning the rim C to release it, and pushing the stand D back, leavingthe bonnet in the hot mold nearly or quite dry and more perfectlypressed than it could be done, or has ever been done, by any process 0rapparatus in use prior to my invention.

In finishing bonnets it is important to obtain as even and uniformsurface as possible on the exterior without breaking the braid orripping the sewing Where one portion of the braid overlaps another. Thiseven and uniform surface is more perfectly made by my machine than byany apparatus previously devised,because the pressure is uniform againstall parts of the mold and the bonnet, even if the bonnet is thicker insome parts than others.

In pressing straw bonnets by the modes in common use unless sufficienttime is allowed for the hot fiat to evaporate the moisture that is fartoo much time for simply pressing the bonnet; but if it is taken fromthe pressingblock before it is Well dried its surface is liable tobecome more or less uneven. With my machine and the use of cold water toexpand the flexible presser, and a hot mold, the moisture in the bonnetis driven from it and condensed upon the flexible presser as itcollapses and shrinks from the bonnet, leaving the bonnet nearly orquite dry.

As the pressure with my machine is uniform upon all parts of the bonnetat the same time, a bonnet made of inferior braid, or any old bonnet inwhich the braid is more or less defective, can be pressed and reshapedwith far less risk by it than by the common methods.

With my machine ten bonnets can be pressed in the same time and with thesame amount of labor required to press one bonnet by the modesheretoforepracticed, and any amount or degree of pressure can be giventhat may be required; besides, the finish given to the bonnet is farsuperior to that given by any other machine or process heretofore used.

Although I have onlydescribed an apparatus for and the process ofshaping and pressing bonnets, I contemplate that the apparatus may bemodified by skillful artisans and adapted to the molding and shaping ofsuch articles and substances as can be molded, shaped, and pressed by aflexible presser acted upon by a fluid substance.

I believe I have described and represented the best mode or form of themachine or apparatus Which I have invented for the purposes abovementioned known to me, so as to enable any person skilled in the art tomake and use it. I will now state what I desire'to secure by LettersPatent, to wit:

I claiml. A mold either hot or cold to form the article pressed, incombination with the iiexible presser operated by a fluid substanceeither liquid or gaseous, substantially as described, so as to press thearticle or substance to be shaped or molded into the mold and give itthe form or shape required.

2. The use of cold Water or other cold liquid to operate the flexibleprcsser, in combination with a het mold, so that the cold flexiblepresser will condense the moisture evaporated or driven from the articlepressed by the hot mold and leave said article nearly or quite dry.

3. The process of shaping bonnets, hats, and other articles by pressingthem into or onto a mold either hot or cold by means of a flexiblepresser operated by some liquid or gaseous substances, substantially asdescribed.

HIRAM E. WEST.

Witnesses:

S. C. MOREY, LEML. T. TALBOT.

